Automatic car and train-line coupling



July 14,1925. 1,545,588 I o. H. LE COMPTE AUTOMATIC CAR AND TRAIN LINE COUPLING Filed Feb. 16, 1921 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ONESIME H. LE.COMPTE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO LE COMPTE STAND- ARD AUTOMATIC DRAWBAR AND CONNECTOR COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

I AUTOMATIC CAB. AND TRAIN-LINE COUPLING.

Application filed February 16, 1921. Serial No. 445,472

To all whom it ma concern:

Be it known that I, ONESIME H. LE-

CoMPTn, a citizen of the United States, residing-at St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car and Train-Line Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. v D

My invention relates to improvements in combined automatic car and train line couplings.

My primary object is to provide means of simple and inexpenswe construction which will operate, with certainty under all ordinary conditions, to automatically couple cars and simultaneously with the coupling of the cars make connections in the train lines, such as steam pipes for heating, air pipes for signal and brake purposes and conductors in electric light circuits.

'A further object is to construct a coupler of the combined car and train line type in a manner facilitating assemblage, having special regard for reducing the repair and upkeep expenses.

A still further object is to construct the car coupling elements and the train line cou-' pling elements as distinct structures and to provide means for their ready relation which latter means includes devices for adjusting the trainline coupling elements with relation to the car coupling elements in order to set the-former elements in positions 'to function properly.

My improvements consist in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter fully, clearly, concisely set forth, definitely pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of two coupled couplings equipped with train line couplings in accordance wlth my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of one of the car couplings and a train line coupling.

Figure 3 is a perspective of one of the train line manifolds.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmental longitudinal sectional elevation showing-the detail constructure of a train line terminal.

fied form of manifold.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 5 and 6 designate the car coupling heads having the locking pins 7 and 8 and drawbars 9 and 10. i I

The elements, just recited, are of the type illustrated described in a co-pending'application filed February 27th, 1920, Serial N umberv 361,891 but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to such car couplers as obviously my train line couplings may be employed with other types of caroouplings.

As shown each of the car coupling heads 5 and 6 has on its lower face a pair of opposed guides, or hangers, 11 having on their inside faces flanges 12 and at the rear of the guides a transversely disposed rib or stop 13, (as shown by dotted lines in Fig-' ure 1,) and carried by each stop 13 there is a set screw 14. i

The train line coupling comprises a pair of manifolds 15 each having a slide-block 16 from which the manifolds may be suspended from the flanges 12 of the guides 11 and by preference the manifolds and slide-blocks are formed en bloc. v

Formed through each of the manifolds, lengthwise, there is one or more bores or openings 17, through which are extended nipples 18, externally threaded at each end to receive, at their rear ends, elbows 19, or their equivalents and to receive at their for- I ward ends the nuts 20, which serve with said elbows to fix the nipples against movements in the manifolds, and, the resilient gasket like train line coupling terminals 21. As shown in Figure 4 the terminals may be secured to the nipples by means such as the clips 22.

lVith the elbows 19 connected with the various lines of the train, and upon a bringing together of two cars equipped with my couplings it will be obvious that the cars will be coupled and that all train lines will be automatically coupled. 7

By means of the sliding relation between the manifolds and their hanger on the coupling heads and the set screws 14, the manifolds may be adjusted longitudinally of the coupling head whereby the gasket like train line terminals may be properly related-to relatively connect to establish non-leaking train line connections. i

is formed in the block.

What I claim as new is In a manifold structure, in combination with a pair of opposed guides, a; flange directed inwardly from each guide, a stop having a screw threaded opening uniting the rear ends of the guides, a manifold, a slide block extending beyond the side faces and the rear face of said manifold for slidably suspending the manifold from said flanges, a set screw engaging in said screw threaded opening of the stop having its forward end in engagement with the rear extended end of the slide block, longitudinally directed openings formed through the manifold, a nipple having screw threaded ends receivable in each opening with the screw front and rear faces of the manifold, an

7 elbow having screw threaded engagement with the rear end of each nipple, a. nuthaving screw threaded engagement with the forward end of each nipple serving with the elbows to fix the nipples against longitudi nal movement, a resilient asket like train line terminal removably xed to the forwardly extended ends of each nipple and extending beyond the: front edges of each nipple so that the front face of each terminal will lie in a plane with the front face of the coupler when brought into coupled contact with the terminal of a companion coupler. V

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature.

ONESIME H. LE COMPTE. 

